English
When, however, he returned to the wihira, Budha informed him that if he again denied that he was the supreme Budha, he was not to approach him any more, or his head would fall, like a tal fruit from its stalk, or would 344 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. cleave into seven pieces. The prince said that the words of Budha would be proved to be &lse ; when the sage declared to him, " No one, in the forty-five years of my ministry, has previooaly told me that the words I ntter are false ; the sakwala may be blown away by a storm ; the snn and moon may &kll to the earth ; the rivers may turn back towards their source ; the sky may be rent; the earth may be destroyed; and Maha Mem may be broken to pieces; but the Budhas cannot utter an untruth/' Sunakh^ta enquired how he had become acquainted with the nature of the conversation he held with Pathika ; did some d6wa inform him ? Budha replied, '* Ajita, the commander of the Lichawi forces, is dead, and has gone to the Tusita d^wa- 16ka. It was he who came to me and said, ' Those who assisted at my cremation went to Pathika and enquired whither I had gone, and he told them that I am born in hell because I refused to listen to his doctrines, and embraced the dharmma ; therefore, let it be proclaimed to the citizens, oh Budha ! that I am bom in Tusita ; and let it be made known to the tirttaka that unless he sees Budha his head will cleave into seven pieces.' Therefore, Sunakhdta, go and tell Pathika that after I have been with the alms-bowl to the city, I shall come to his residence.'* The prince made known to all the people, as he went along, that Budha was about to visit Pathika at his own dwelling, in con- sequence of which, great numbers were assembled ; but the tirt- taka knew that he had been practising a deception upon his fol- lowers, and that he should be exposed, if confronted with G-<5tama ; he, therefore, ran away to the forest, and secreted himself near a rock in the midst of a thicket. Budha was aware that if he went to the same place it would cause the destruction of the de- ceiver, so out of pity he prevented him from leaving the forest. The people, not finding him at his residence, went to the forest to seek him ; and were directed by a man who had seen him, to a timbari pillar. Having found him they said, ^' All the princes and nobles have gone to your dwelling that they may see your miracles ; Budha is also at the same place ; therefore, come with- out delay.*' And he said, ^' I come, I come," but was unable to move from the rock ; so the people derided him, and went and informed the' assembly. Then one of the princes, with his retinue, went to the rock, and told him that if he would come, they would assist him against Budha ; but he made no reply VII. LEGENDS OF GKSTAMA BUDHA. 345 and the prince returaing, told the people that the tirttaka ap- peared as if dead. Budha also informed them that if they were to take a thousand yoke of oxen they could not compel him to come ; either the ropes would break, or his body would burst. Then one Jalaya thought that he. had the power to persuade him ; but when he went, and told him how all the assembly was waiting, he still said, " I come, I come," but was unable to move. On seeing this, Jalaya said to him. ** A lion, who lived in a re- tired part of the forest, sallied forth at night in search of prey. Three times he roared, and then commenced his expedition, thinking that he would kill deer in plenty, and eat them at his leisure. One day, when he had been hunting in this mauner, he saw a jackal, whose name he asked, and was told it was Jambuka. The lion enquired if he was willing from that time to be his servant, and he agreed. When the lion killed any animal, the jackal came in for a share of the flesh, so that he became very fat, and he began to be playful with the lion, and to &iwn upon him, and to be very proud. As he was drinking, on a certain occasion, at a stream of clear water, he saw the reflection of his own form, which led him to think thus, ' I have four feet, as the lion has ; two cutting teeth ; two ears ; and a tail ; I will there- fore begin to hunt on my own account ; why should I be con- tented to live on mere remains as I do now ? ' So he sallied forth, and roared : but no deer did he catch, and none did he kilL Now, if I were to apply this stery, you would be the jackal, and Budha would be the lion." But even the ridicule he thus exer- cised was in vain; the tirttaka could not be moved from the rook. When it became evident to all that he would not return, Budha preached to the assembly near the tirttaka's dwelling, and 84,000 of those who were present entered the path anag^i. {Amdwatura.) 47. The History of Bawdri. Baw^ was the pr<5hita of Maha Kosol, and afterwards of Pas^nadi. When wishful to retire from the cares of his office, he requested permission to become a recluse, which the king would not grant at first ; but when he saw that he had no means of preventing him from fulfilling his wish, he built for him a residence in a retired part of the garden, near the palace, and went to see him at every convenient opportunity. The confu- 346 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. sion of the city, Loweyer, prevented him from enjojing so maoh privacy as he required, and after a little time he requested to be allowed to retire into the forest. Three times the king refused his request, but afterwards gave two lacs of treasure to his nobles, and told them to look out for a proper place in which to build a residence for the recluse. Taking the money, thej went north and south, but did not find a suitable place, until tbey arrived on the bank of the Gddivery* where they found a spot in which a recluse had lived in a former age, situated between the dominions of the kings Assaka and Mdlaka. One lac was given to each of the kings, for the purchase of the ground, after which the nobles returned to Sewet; and collect* ing all the requisite materials, they again went to the place, where they erected a pansal, and at a little distance from it a village. When the villagers, after they had begun to cultivate, went to Assaka to give the tenth of their produce, according to the usual custom, he refused to receive it, and told them to give it to the recluse and his associates. The wife of a certain brahman one day said to her husband, that she could not always be toiling in that way, and that it would be better for him to go and ask for a part of the treasure given to Bawiri. The recluse told him, when he asked for 500 of his treasure, that he did not possess so much money, as all he had received was given in alms; but the brahman made a hut at the door of his pansal, as if resolving to remain there, and said that if the money was not given the head of the recluse would speedily cleave into seven pieces. Baw&ri was greatly terrified at this threat; but the dewa of a tree, who took pity upon him, told him not to be afraid, as no one possessed this power but Budha. On receiving this informa- tion, the recluse became encouraged ; and when he learnt that Badha was then at Sewet, he sent a number of his associates to pay him a visit. For this purpose they proceeded in order through the cities of Mdlaka, Assaka, Mahissati, Ujj&ni, Q-<$dhi, Diwisa, Wal Sewet, Kosambss, and S4ketu. Budha perceived their approach, and as Sewet was not a proper place at which to * The Gt6direrj is the largest riyer of the Dekhan, and falls into the bay of Bengal. The Singhalese hare many legends relatire to the contests that formerly took place in the regions near this river between the Budhists and Brahmans. VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUDHA. 3-47 receive them, he went from thence to Bajagaha ; and for this purpose he passed in order, after leaving Sewet, through Setawja, Kapilawasta, Kusinira, WisaU, and thenoe to Ea- jagaha, where he remained at the Bamani-pasdna wihira, which was situated apon a rock, and was formerly a d6wdla. Thither the associates of Baw^ri proceeded, and when they found Budha, and heard his bana, it was like water to one that is thirsty, or a shady place to the mid-day traveller, or the discovery of a cheap market by the merchant when he goes to purchase goods. At this time the sage was seated upon the throne presented to him by Sekra, surrounded by the priests, who extended on each side to the distance of six yojanas.